F.F. for the Findhorn E
The following flies are listed in Francis Francis's book " A Book On Angling" from 1867.
For the river FINDHORN : A note on these flies from A.P. Gordon Cumming, to Francis Francis : " My dear sir,... I have selected eight of the which I found most killing on the Findhorn, during twenty years' work. These may be succesfully varied by changing the colour of the bodies and heads; red for orange, black for yellow heads, and bodies made black for claret or green and vice versa. ..... Blue bodies may be substituted in the case of black and two clarets, with advantage to the angler and determent to the fish. The wings of two two are far too long, but this you need not mind. ALL should have one or two toppings (shortish) for tails, and if the wing is DRESSED THINNER it is an IMMENSE improvement, where economy is our object, to put two long toppings on the wings...Yours truly....
No.1 :
Tag : Gold thread and puce floss.
Tail : A topping, some tippet and a Kingfisher feather.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Lightish claret floss.
Ribs : Silver tinsel and gold twist. (Not together, but equidistant).
Hackle : Light claret.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : Two large tippet feathers, almost full length of the wing, over it sprigs of Golden Pheasant tail and a good many
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Lightish claret floss.
Ribs : Silver tinsel and gold twist. (Not together, but equidistant).
Hackle : Light claret.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : Two large tippet feathers, almost full length of the wing, over it sprigs of Golden Pheasant tail and a good many
sprigs of both red and blue Macaw, slips of brown Gled and dark Bustard.
Sides : Tips of two blue Macaw feathers, nearly half the length of the wing.
Head : Orange Mohair, set on like a hackle, and forming a ruff.
Sides : Tips of two blue Macaw feathers, nearly half the length of the wing.
Head : Orange Mohair, set on like a hackle, and forming a ruff.
No.2 :
Tag : Silver thread and yellow floss.
Tail : A topping, some tippet and Gallina.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Copper coloured floss.
Ribs : Broad silver tinsel and narrow gold ditto side by side.
Hackle : Medium claret.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : Two tippets, Englisch Bustard, brown Mallard, and Brown speckled Turkey, dark Bustard, red Macaw, and pale
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Copper coloured floss.
Ribs : Broad silver tinsel and narrow gold ditto side by side.
Hackle : Medium claret.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : Two tippets, Englisch Bustard, brown Mallard, and Brown speckled Turkey, dark Bustard, red Macaw, and pale
green Swan sprigs.
No.3 :
Tag : Silver thread and ruby floss.
Tail : A topping and tippet.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Orange - yellowfloss.
Ribs : Broad gold tinsel.
Hackle : Light blue hackle.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : A medium sized tippet, two good slices of brown speckled Turkey, sprigs of Golden Pheasant tail, a few of
Boddy : Orange - yellowfloss.
Ribs : Broad gold tinsel.
Hackle : Light blue hackle.
Throat : Jay.
Wings : A medium sized tippet, two good slices of brown speckled Turkey, sprigs of Golden Pheasant tail, a few of
red and blue Macaw.
Horns : Blue Macaw.
Head : Bright red Mohair head and collar.
Horns : Blue Macaw.
Head : Bright red Mohair head and collar.
No.4 :
Tag : Silver tinsel.
Tail : A topping.
Boddy : Three turns of ruby floss, the rest of light apple green floss.
Ribs : Silver and gold tinsel. (equidistant).
Hackle : Bright medium green, inclining to a blue green.
Throat : Black Heron.
Wings : A bunch of emerald-green Peacock herl 9taken from the scimetar shaped feather), slices of brown speckled
Boddy : Three turns of ruby floss, the rest of light apple green floss.
Ribs : Silver and gold tinsel. (equidistant).
Hackle : Bright medium green, inclining to a blue green.
Throat : Black Heron.
Wings : A bunch of emerald-green Peacock herl 9taken from the scimetar shaped feather), slices of brown speckled
Turkey bright Peacock, a little Bustard, sprigs of Bustard (?), red and blue Macaw and green Swan.
Collar blue Mohair.
No.5 :
Tag : Silver thread and a small bunch of red Mohair.
Tail : A topping and tippet, sprigs of Golden Pheasant sword feather, blue Macaw and pale yellow-green Parrot.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Light ruby floss, rest light apple green floss (the whole a shade lighter than No.4, the fly before).
Ribs : Gold and silver tinsel, side by side.
Hackle : Coch-Y-bondu, stained brown.
Throat : Black Heron, reaching the point of the hook.
Wings : Strips of Bustard and bright Peacock, sprigs of blue and red Macaw and yellow-green Swan. Collar bright
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Light ruby floss, rest light apple green floss (the whole a shade lighter than No.4, the fly before).
Ribs : Gold and silver tinsel, side by side.
Hackle : Coch-Y-bondu, stained brown.
Throat : Black Heron, reaching the point of the hook.
Wings : Strips of Bustard and bright Peacock, sprigs of blue and red Macaw and yellow-green Swan. Collar bright
orange Mohair.
No.6 :
Tag : Silver thread and yellow floss.
Tail : A longish topping, tippet and a red Toucan feather.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Black floss.
Ribs : Broad silver tinsel and gols thread side by side.
Hackle : The dark chocolate brown cock's feather used in the Spey flies.
Throat : Black Heron and Gallina over it.
Wings : Two tippet feathers (two thirds the length of the wing), mixed Peacock and Golden Pheasant tail, with fibres
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : Black floss.
Ribs : Broad silver tinsel and gols thread side by side.
Hackle : The dark chocolate brown cock's feather used in the Spey flies.
Throat : Black Heron and Gallina over it.
Wings : Two tippet feathers (two thirds the length of the wing), mixed Peacock and Golden Pheasant tail, with fibres
of red and blue Macaw. A olive-yellow Mohair collar.
No.7 :
Tag : Gold thread.
Tail : A topping and Gallina.
Boddy : One turn of orange-yellow Pig's wool, then two turns light clarety red, two of medium blue, three of clarety red
Boddy : One turn of orange-yellow Pig's wool, then two turns light clarety red, two of medium blue, three of clarety red
and the same of orange-yellow.
Ribs : Broadish gold tinsel.
Hackle : Dark purple hackle.
Throat : Black hackle, a Jay over it.
Wings : One tippet, half the length of the wing, mixed Golden Pheasant tail, Mallard, a little Gallina, a little bright
Ribs : Broadish gold tinsel.
Hackle : Dark purple hackle.
Throat : Black hackle, a Jay over it.
Wings : One tippet, half the length of the wing, mixed Golden Pheasant tail, Mallard, a little Gallina, a little bright
Bustard, a few sprigs of long tippet and of yellow and claret Swan and several blue Macaw sprigs.
Head : Black (No collar).
Head : Black (No collar).
No.8 :
Tag : Silver thread and darkish blue floss.
Tail : A good topping.
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : One-third orange-yellow floss, the rest dark chocolate floss.
Hackle : A brown claret hackle.
Throat : Black Heron.
Wings : A tippet (long), the tip of a black Partridge feather, a bit of dark brown Mallard and the tip of a green Parrot
Butt : Black herl.
Boddy : One-third orange-yellow floss, the rest dark chocolate floss.
Hackle : A brown claret hackle.
Throat : Black Heron.
Wings : A tippet (long), the tip of a black Partridge feather, a bit of dark brown Mallard and the tip of a green Parrot
feather. Over this sprigs of brown Turkey, Golden Pheasant tail, two or three copper-coloured Peacock herls,
red and blue Macaw. A Mohair collar not to heavy, the colour of which is not orange nor pink, but a sort of
madder.
Cheeks : Kingfisher
Cheeks : Kingfisher